Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1887-07-30
The U. & n. Railway Run
ming On Broad Gauge
Principles.
Change Of Gauge In Six Hours.--Super.
intendent Biickensderfer's Special
Makes The First Run--Forty-fiVe
Miles an HOnr. Track In
Excellent Order.

Idaho and Montana had outgrown the
contracted and narrow gauge system
in operation, and being fully in ac-
cord with the wishes and demands Of
the people, began his plans and prep
arations for a change of gauge to
standard measure He knew very well
the expense and amount of labor re-
quired for the change, but with the
sanction of the higher officials, he be
gan his work with an earnestness and
zeal that was crowned, last Monday,
with a success most gratifying to him
self and pleasing to all friends OF the
road. For more than ten days it was
known that the 25th day of July would
be the day for the extension, and
while all the employees worked to that
end, the public stood in eager expec-
fancy Of its accomplishment.
| To make his work doubly sure, and
that there might not be any loss of
trains other than those that would be
caught if on the road, he reinforced
his section bosses with large num-
Der of recruits from the Oregon Short
Line and the southern division of the
Utah & Northern, and thus made the
fete Of widening the gauge quick and
short one. When the sun went down
on Saturday of the %, everything was
ready and eager for Monday morn
ing's signal for the ring of the ham
mer and the spike. At early dawn
Monday the signal was given and the
men rushed to the work with an alac-
rity and speed which were kept up
throughout the sections until all con
meeting links were made. and the
widening Of the gauge of the U. & n.
from Silver Bow to Pocatello. 243
miles, had become one of the most
successful affairs Of railroading in the
United States. Many of the section
bosses averaged more than mile an
hour, and completed their work and
were resting at noon.
AT 1915, Superintendent Blickens-
derfer, with special coal train of
seven cars, one caboose and his pri-
yate cars Nos. 80 and 81. drawn by
locomotive 72T, pulled out from Po-
catello for run to Spring Hill Seven
miles out from Pocatello he encount-
cred the working crews Of the Poca-
tello and Ross Fork sections with
gap of one and half miles TO be gill
ed and was detained an hour or more.
Soon after the shadows Of noon began
to change, the sound Of his whistle
was heard at Blackfoot, and large
assemhlage Of citizens met him at the
depot to welcome him with his first
train over the standard gauge Here,
by previous invitation, a represents
tive of The News boarded the train
and joined the invited guests aboard
for the first run over the Idaho divis-
ion. The run to Eagle Rock was made
at the rate of 33 miles to the hour and
so smooth was the track that one
would have imagined himself on an
old, well established trunk line instead
of one whose track had been laid two
houre before.
At Eagle Rock salute was fired as
the train ran up to the depot, and af-
ter halt of few minutes for hands
shaking, orders, etc, it pulled out for
its pleasant onward run to Spring Hill. |
AT Payne siding, eight miles north, |
delay of 35 minutes was occasioned |
by the gap between the sections meet |
ing there; their work being incomplete
because they were the longest sections
on the road. From Payne to Spring
Hill, the entire run was as pleasant,
comfortable everyway, and as rapid as
If over well used track. From Spring
Hill the return was made with the reg
ular south bound passenger and the
News representative found himself /
Tuesday morning on schedule time, at
home again as fresh as il he had spent
an hour at Garfield Beach. Superin-
tendent Blickensderfer has performed
q successful fete at railroading of
which he may justly feel proud, and
for which he is TO be congratulated,
not only by the general management
of his system, but by the people Of
Idaho and Montana.
PERSONAL AND LOCAL swITcmNas.
The News man acknowledges with
pleasure the courtesies shown him by
the Superintendent, Master Mechanic
Hicky, Chief Clerk Hassett and the
attention Of all aboard.
The first train contained Superin-
tendent Blickensderfer, ex, Asst Supt
Leslie, Master Mechanic HielSy, Chief
Clerk Hassett, Supt of Pullman cars,
Road Master Fitzpatrick, Of the o. s.
L., DR., Blickensdcrfer, H. 2. Blickens-
dcrfeE Hon. Pat Hughes, Conductor
p Collins, Engineer G. Drum, Fire.
man Coody, Brakemen Joe Holland
and H. B. Egan, Il. NJ. Jacobs, Free
man Byrnes, Fred vogler, Editor G.